(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) today joined Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairman Joaquin Castro and over 50 members of the Democratic Caucus in calling on the Trump administration to allow DACA recipients to access Affordable Care Act (ACA) benefits in response to the coronavirus crisis. This action is critical for the over 200,000 DACA recipients that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security classifies as 'essential critical infrastructure workers.'
“Leaving these young people uninsured, especially during a world-wide pandemic, simply does not advance the goals of the ACA nor benefit the American people. Without access to affordable health care, DACA recipients are left without the ability to receive testing and treatment for COVID-19, driving up health care costs on to our own safety net providers and increasing premiums for everyone,” the Members wrote. “We strongly encourage HHS to honor our country’s promise of full integration and support of DACA recipients, including access to affordable health care through the ACA by repealing this regulation.”
The letter was signed by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Immigration Subcommittee Chair Zoe Lofgren (CA-13), CHC Vice Chair Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), CHC Freshman Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-17),Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-2), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4), Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-9), CongressmanJ. Luis Correa (CA-46), Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-2), , Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-5), Congresswoman Deb Haaland's (NM-01), Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11), Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51), Congressman José E. Serrano (NY-16), Congressman Eliot L. Engel (NY-16), Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14), Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-3), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Congressman Al Green (TX-9), Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At-Large), Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MI-5), Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-8), Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-3), Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-12), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-3), Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Congresswoman Donna E. Shalala (FL-27), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-1), Congressman TJ Cox (CA-21), Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-3), Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-2), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-33), Congressman Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-4), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), Congressman Scott H. Peters (CA-52), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), and Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38).
Full text of the letter follows and can be found here.